Step-up rail-joint.



No.844,'794. Y PATENTED FEB.19,1907.

- G. L. HALL.

STEP-UP RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO.21,1906.

To all whom, itmay concern:

Unrrni) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE 'L. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL RAIL- WAY MATERIALS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEP-UP RA! L-UOINT.

Specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed December 21, 1906. Serial No. 348.853.

l 3e it known that I, GEORGE L. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Step-Up Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the step-joint complete; Fig. 2, a sectional view on the line II II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar view on the line III III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a perspective view of one of the splice-bars of the joint and Fig. 5, a similar view of one of the splicebars of the joint, showing a slightly different form of base-support for the rail.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient compromise joint-that is, means for joining together two rails of different sizes or heights whether said rails be of different sizes when manufactured or of the same size when made and one of them so worn by service that it requires to be stepped up or raised in order to bring its upper surface on a level with the upper surface of the adjoining rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a joint which will give to one of the rails a base-support.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 and 2 designate the rail ends which are to be connected, the rail 1 being somewhat smaller than the rail 2. To rigidly support these rails, I provide the two splice-bars 3. Each of these splice-bars consists of the substantially vertical web 4-, which is provided at its upper edge with longitudinally-extending bearing-surfaces for supporting the heads of the rails. This web, from a point midway between the ends of the splice-bar to one end thereof, is enlarged vertically or stepped up to form the enlarged part 5 of the web, said enlarged portion being provided at its upper edge with a bearing to support the head of the smaller rail. At thelower edge of this web is formed an outward and downward extending flange 6, which fits over the base of the rail. At one end of this flange and extending therealong for about one-half the length of the splice-bar is formed an inward-extending stiffening-web and base-support 7, said basesupport, when constructed as shown in Fig. 2, being wide enough to extend under slightly less than one-half the width of the rail-base. It will of course be understood, however, that it may be formed wide enough to extend entirely under the base of the rail, in which case the other splice-bar will be made without the base-support. This base-support, preferably, does not extendbeyond a point midway between the ends of the splice-bar and is designed to support only one of the rails, preferably the smaller rail, said base-support being of suflicient thickness to bring the upper surface of the rail-head flush with the upper surface of the head of the larger rail. The two splice-bars are connected to the rails by means of the usual bolts 8, and the splicebars may be provided with the usual notches along their outer edges to receive spikes, if desired.

It will of course be understood'that, if .desired, the base-support may be formed on that partof the splice-bar adapted to support the larger rail, so that it will extend under the larger rail and support the same, the smaller rail then resting on the tie. In this case, of course, the tie must be raised sufliciently to bring the upper surface of the head of the smaller rail flush with the upper surface of the head of the larger rail. When the splice-bars are formed as shown in the drawings, the larger rail will rest directly on the ties.

The base-support may be transversely or longitudinally corrugated to obtain strength and stiffness and to provide means for raising thesmaller rail a considerable distance with very little metal in the base-su port, as shown at 9 in Fig. 5. It will also lie manifest that, if desired, the corrugated base-support may extend the entire width of the base of the rail and be a part of one of the splicebars only instead of being half on each of said bars. In this case, of course, one splicebar will not be formed with a base-support.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that I provide a very simple stepjoint which may be cheaply manufactured and which in service will be durable and efficient.

It will of course be understood that wherever it may be necessary to place the smaller rail slightly out of line with the vertical center of the larger rail in order to bring the flange side of the head in line with and flush with the flange side of the larger rail the stepped-up portion of the splice-bar will be enlarged laterally sufliciently to properly space the smaller rail. In Fig. 4 the steppedup portion of the splice-bar is shown as thus enlarged at 5 7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. A step-joint for railway-rails comprising a pair of splice-bars adapted to be secured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails of different cross-sectional area, each of said splice-bars being formed of a substantially vertical rail-supporting web enlarged or stepped up vertically for substantially half its length to support thehead of the smaller rail, and with a downward and outward inclined flange along the lower edge of said vertical web, and an inward-extending base-support adapted to extend under one of the rails, said base-support terminating substantially midway between the ends of the bars.

2. A step-joint for railway-rails comprising a pair of splice-bars adapted to be secured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails of different cross-seotional area, each of said splice-bars formed with a substantially vertical rail-supporting web enlarged or stepped up vertically for substantially half the length to support the head of the smaller rail, and along the lower edge of said web with a downward and outward inclined flange adapted to extend over the base of the rails, one of said splice-bars being formed with an inward-extending base-support adapted to lie under the end of one of the rails, said base-support terminating substantially midway the ends of the splice-bar.

3. A step-joint for railway-rails comprising a pair of splice-bars adapted to be secured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails of different cross-sectional area, each of said splice-bars formed with a substantially vertical rail-supporting web enlarged or stepped up vertically for substantially half the length to support the head of the smaller rail and along the lower edge of said web with a downward and outward inclined flange adapted to extend over the base of the rails, one of said splice-bars being formed with an inward-extending base-support adapted to lie under the end of one of the rails, said base-support terminating substantially midway between the ends of the splicebar, said base-support being corrugated.

4. A step-joint for railway-rails comprising a pair of splioe-bars adapted to be se cured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails of different cross-sectional area, each of said splice-bars being formed of a substantially vertical rail-supporting web enlarged or stepped up vertically for substantially half its length to support the head of the smaller rail and with a downward and outward inclined flange along the lower edge of said vertical web, and a base-support extending inward under the base of the rail below the enlarged part of the vertical web and substantially equal in length to the enlarged part of the web, whereby said base-support extends under and carries the smaller rail and being of sufficient thickness to bring the upper surface of the said rail flush with the upper surface of the larger rail.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of December, 1906.

GEO. L. HALL.

Witnesses WM; R. DAVIS, E. H. KAUFMANN. 

